Meadowbrook Terrace Mobile Home Park

On Boil Water Advisory

By John Voket

The Department of Public Health (DPH) announced late Wednesday that 82 small public drinking water systems in the state are under a boil water advisory including Newtown’s Meadowbrook Terrace Mobile Home Park at 55 Sugar Street.

Newtown Health District Director Donna Culbert said she conferred with management at the complex, and the water system at that location is not operational at this time due to the power outage.

“It’s on the boil advisory list because of the power outage and residents will be advised tomorrow in writing,” she said. “And by the time the system is restored, any potential contamination will have been treated and eliminated.”

The last time this neighborhood was issued a similar advisory in 2011, no contamination was evident when the water system became operable Ms Culbert said.

The majority of public water suppliers, including the larger public water systems that serve approximately 2.7 million Connecticut residents, were able to maintain water safety and service throughout the storm.

The list of 82 systems under a boil water advisory serve a total population of 11,072, approximately 0.31 percent of the state’s total population.

“Although Hurricane Sandy ravaged parts of the state, we are very fortunate that the majority of Connecticut’s public drinking water systems were not affected. Our state’s public drinking water supplies are well-protected from sources of contamination with measures that include laws prohibiting sewage treatment plants from being located upstream of a drinking water supply reservoir,” said DPH Commissioner Jewel Mullen, MD. “We will continue to monitor Connecticut’s drinking water and work with those systems under a boil water advisory to help get them back online.”

Public drinking water systems that are experiencing power outages and do not have a backup power source are issuing boil water advisories as a precautionary measure. DPH is monitoring these systems and working to contact other small public drinking water systems to determine their status and offer assistance as needed.

Affected public water systems will notify customers if a boil water advisory is announced. According to the DPH, residential customers in the Meadowbrook complex should:

*Safely boil their water by bringing it to a rolling boil for one minute. A rolling boil means that there are very large bubbles in the water, making the water move very quickly. Make sure the water does not have any floating pieces in it before you boil it. To make the boiled water taste better, pour the water back and forth between two clean containers a few times. Boiled water should be allowed to cool to a safe temperature before drinking or handling.

*Use boiled or bottled water when cooking, washing fruits and vegetables, brushing teeth, or making baby formula.

*Use water that has previously boiled and cooled to a safe temperature or bottled water to wash hands when cooking.

*An alternative method of purification for residents that do not have gas or electricity is to use liquid household bleach to disinfect water. The bleach product should be recently purchased, free of additives and scents, and should contain a hypochlorite solution of at least 5.25 percent. Public health officials recommend adding eight drops of bleach (about one-quarter teaspoon) to each gallon of water. The water should be stirred and allowed to stand for at least 30 minutes before use.

*Adults and older children do not need to use boiled water to shower or bathe, but should try not to swallow any water or get any water into their mouths. Infants, toddlers, the elderly, and people with severely compromised immune systems should be bathed using water that has been previously boiled and cooled to a safe temperature or bottled water.

The Newtown Health District Director said while there is no current risk because the Meadowbrook system is inoperative, residents should be familiar with these guidelines in the event any contamination is detected in the future.

Homeowners in flooded areas whose private wells have flooded should consider their wells contaminated. For information on disinfecting flooded wells, go to www.ct.gov/dph/floods.